College Persistence

Among college-age students who enter California’s community college system as freshmen with high school diplomas and aspirations to transfer to four-year institutions, six in 10 drop out or lower their academic sights after just one semester, according to a study.

The report by Policy Analysis for California Education, or PACE, an independent policy-research center based at the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University, concludes that the most populous community college system in the nation should increase support for students before and during their first semester.

“This analysis suggests that a focus on access [to higher education] is necessary, but more preparation for the transition from high school to college is essential to achieve the goal of a more educated population and workforce,” writes report author Anne Driscoll, a demographer and PACE researcher based at the University of California, Davis.